MONTEREY PARK, CA — The U.S. Postal Service is proud to dedicate and unveil the 45-cent Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon Forever^® stamp at the Monterey Park Chinese New Year Festival on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, at 11:30 a.m. The festival takes place on Garvey Ave., between Garfield Ave. and Nicholson Ave., in Monterey Park.

Monterey Park Postmaster Donna Sosa will officiate at the stamp unveiling during the festival's opening ceremonies. The Monterey Park Chinese New Year Festival features customary dragon and lion dances, Chinese acrobats, martial arts demonstrations and much more, including live music and traditional food.

"Throughout our nation, Chinese communities have shared their traditions, culture and heritage and, in return, the Postal Service is pleased to participate in the Monterey Park Chinese New Year Festival and present the fifth of twelve stamps in our Celebrating Lunar New Year series," said Sosa.

The Postal Service will have the stamps for sale at the event as well as related philatelic items, and will offer a Chinese New Year Festival special pictorial postmark to commemorate the day. The collectible postmark, which is applied at no charge to any First-Class postage stamp on request, will also be available for 30 days at the Monterey Park Post Office and by mail. To receive by mail, enclosed card or envelope with stamp affixed into cover envelope and mail to Lunar New Year Postmark, Monterey Park Post Office, 245 W. Garvey Ave., Monterey Park CA 91754-9998.

The Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon Forever^® stamp went on sale nationwide on Jan. 23, and was issued in San Francisco. It is available at all Post Offices, online at usps.com/shop and by phone by calling 800-STAMP-24.

Stamp artist Kam Mak — who was born in Hong Kong, grew up in New York City's Chinatown and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY — worked with Art Director Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD, focusing on some of the common ways the Lunar New Year holiday is celebrated. To commemorate the Year of the Dragon, which runs from Jan. 23, 2012, to Feb. 9, 2013, Mak created an eye-popping illustration of a colorful Dragon figure of the sort manipulated by dancers welcoming the New Year. Kessler's design also incorporates elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps introduced in 1992, to create continuity between the series.

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